Microsoft Windows 10 Digs Deep

Microsoft has come out with the Windows 10 operating system. Many love it for the display and new features, but many hate it for its bugs and security problems. The system is more than just the predictable Windows 7 and 8 mash-up that it has been said to be; it has new capabilities ranging from more user control, new processors, and designs, to the numerous ways that Microsoft digs deep to uncover and take advantage of users’ content.

Among the positive features of Windows 10 are that many current users adore the new setup. It brings back some of the features of Windows 7, like the Start Menu, but takes them to the next level. The Start Menu in the updated version combines the features of the Windows 8 Start screen tiles and the traditional Windows 7 pull-up bar to create a well-blended hybrid that breaks down programs and folders by category. For those who love the mobile display, the new version can also go into that mode, which includes its swiping movement. It also can show what programs are running simultaneously with the TaskView feature which offers Virtual Desktop drawers and Snap Assist for scatter-brained workers who would like to use a little more organization.

There are other helpful setups, including the Action Center and Windows Hello, which is similar to the Google Play Store. Microsoft has also taken Google’s mobile program ideas and implemented Groove Music and TV & Movies. The old-fashioned Internet Explorer is replaced with Microsoft Edge, which is “supposedly faster than Google and Firefox when loading pages,” according to Travis Pope, and it is packed with options, but still needs some work. Apps open faster, battery life is improved with the new system, and computers that have Windows 10 pre-installed have fingerprint and facial sensors with an Intel RealSense camera. Keyboards could soon become extinct, based on these new, advanced features and on Cortana, which is a gift for new and old computers with Windows 10.

Cortana is a personal assistant that is always listening for every command, much like Siri when on auto-pilot. Cortana looks through personal emails, tells the latest news stories, and has more insight into users’ personal preferences and actions. The searching does not stop there, though. Microsoft’s Windows 10 also digs deep into computer systems to see all of the programs, features, and media installed. It can find any illegal software, games, and data, report them, and stop the individual from accessing their own material. Through these efforts, the tech giant hopes to at least partially minimize the $50 billion that it reported to lose each year to illegal downloading.

Even when a user tries to disable data-sharing, Microsoft continues to not only monitor any searches, including how they are done, but also to repeatedly update features, even after people opt out of reporting current program statuses to the company. Personal information is also very hard to keep private, because in order to disable that particular function, thirteen different steps first have to be taken. Otherwise, Microsoft would always be monitoring instances of the user’s name and nickname, along with all of their Cortana searches and interactions, and all calendar and contact information.

Other features of Windows 10 include cloud-sharing updates and the ability to automatically log in to other people’s personal Wi-Fi servers. As new technology is becoming more appealing in visuals and navigation, privacy is becoming less of a right and more of a privilege. Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 10, is out with more features than ever before, while Microsoft continues to work on more new programs and versions for Windows.

By Jarick Roaderick

Sources:
CNN: Is Windows 10 Really A Privacy Nightmare?
Gotta Be Mobile: Windows 10 Review: A Love Affair
Gotta Be Mobile: Skylake Is Why Buying A Windows 10 PC Is Smart
Express: Windows 10 Can Find Pirated Software On Your PC And Stop You Using It